2013 Speculation (and confirmation) thread - rider schedules and parcours

[Ryo Hazuki]

Paris Nice goes through Italy now?

I didn't know

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

My only point was that he didn't need great form to win there, as he was the only climber there. On the actual climb. And no, I don't think he needed great form not to get dropped on the flat along with Purito. And no, I don't think it was obvious he was as good there as anywhere else, as (he said so himself) those were his first few kilometers in the red for the year.

As for the Giro: considering he almost got a top-5 in the Vuelta with less than great form, I'm postponing judgement on that one.


You're absolutely right, but my point wasn't about Purito at all. 18-Valve introduced him into the discussion.

He also easily won the ITT against several noted (superior) time trialists. He obviously had very good form. Much like Leipheimer last year... great early season form. It happens.

 

[the asian]

Was anything disclosed about Valverde's schedule at the Movistar presentation?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Was anything disclosed about Valverde's schedule at the Movistar presentation?

Bici has this listed:

Mallorca
Andalucia
Murcia
Clasica de Almeria

Catalunya or Pais Vasco

Ardennes classics

Tour

 

[El Pistolero]

Philippe Gilbert:

Tour Down Under
Tour of Oman
Paris-Nice

Most likely no Omloop het Nieuwsblad.

Bit disappointed with this especially because Phil has never been good in Paris-Nice... Hasn't made any plans yet after LBL. Ardennes classics will be his main goal and while MSR and RvV are also big goals he wants to be at his best for the Ardennes classics again. He also says he wants to be a bit better for the RvV than for MSR.

He also said he is more complete than Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini.

He'll be helping Tejay van Gardenen at Paris-Nice. Which is a shame again if you ask me. Also said if he'll do the Tour it will be to help Cadel Evans and Tejay van Gardenen. So I hope he skips it.

 

[Pentacycle]

Philippe Gilbert:

Tour Down Under
Tour of Oman
Paris-Nice

Most likely no Omloop het Nieuwsblad.

Bit disappointed with this especially because Phil has never been good in Paris-Nice... Hasn't made any plans yet after LBL. Ardennes classics will be his main goal and while MSR and RvV are also big goals he wants to be at his best for the Ardennes classics again.

He also said he is more complete than Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini.

Very strange idd, he's never even won a stage there, and in his only decent participation he immediately won a stage.
Maybe he's planning to go for the win in P-N with the weak field this year. He or one of his his DS's said last year that his climbing was at a level where he could win races like that.

 

[theyoungest]

Very strange idd, he's never even won a stage there, and in his only decent participation he immediately won a stage.
Maybe he's planning to go for the win in P-N with the weak field this year. He or one of his his DS's said last year that his climbing was at a level where he could win races like that.

Nah, he can't. He can climb a bit, but will he outclimb his teammate Van Garderen, for instance? Who is also a better time trialist.

Tirreno suits him much more, and is also better classics prep. Strange decision.

 

[El Pistolero]

Nah, he can't. He can climb a bit, but will he outclimb his teammate Van Garderen, for instance? Who is also a better time trialist.

Tirreno suits him much more, and is also better classics prep. Strange decision.

The team decided to send him to P-N to help Van Garderen. Haven't checked the route of this year's P-N, but on a tame route he could win I suppose. But even Mende would already be too hard of a climb for him. Phil didn't care whether he did T-A or P-N, so he let the team decide. Evans will be leader at T-A. He also said Gossie busted the myth that you need to ride T-A to win M-SR. I wouldn't call T-A a better classics prep by the way. A lot of the cobbled classic guys ride P-N. Boonen did Paris-Nice in his successful 2005-2006 seasons and again in 2012. It depends on the rider mostly. Tejay van Garderen and Phil get along very well together, so not all that strange if you know that. I'd rather see him ride for him self of course.

From the team's perspective it makes sense. With Evans they have a shot at winning T-A and with Van Garderen they can win Paris-Nice. Phil would be a super-domestique for the latter. And with the weak field, Van Garderen might just win his very first big race.

I hope he'll ride Strade Bianche though. He's not doing the Omloop het Nieuwsblad because he doesn't have enough time to recover from the Tour of Oman.

 

[Miburo]

This would be the first time that Gilbert would change his schedule because he needs to ride for someone.

I don't believe that, like Gilbert cares about that.

He prob does it because he knows Contador will be in T-A and he'll win nothing there, jk

Seriously, maybe because the field is too strong on T-A to even go for a stage win orso. Meh have no idea.

 

[El Pistolero]

This would be the first time that Gilbert would change his schedule because he needs to ride for someone.

I don't believe that, like Gilbert cares about that.

He prob does it because he knows Contador will be in T-A and he'll win nothing there, jk

Seriously, maybe because the field is too strong on T-A to even go for a stage win orso. Meh have no idea.

One wonders how Phil won the WC RR, 3 Monuments, 6 classics(P-T, F-W, AGR and CSS) and GT stages in all 3 Grand Tours.

 

[Flamin]

He'll be helping Tejay van Gardenen at Paris-Nice. Which is a shame again if you ask me.

Why? this can only mean that Tejay will pay him back big time in Liège

 

[Gloin22]

Why? this can only mean that Tejay will pay him back big time in Liège

Why would Tejay do Liege ? ...

 

[Flamin]

Why would Tejay do Liege ? ...

Why not? he did it last year..

 

[Gloin22]

Why not? he did it last year..

If he's doing PN, and them presumably Volta I would think he might not do Ardennes ( instead do Romandie as Wiggins last year ) Then prepare for the Tour and Worlds ITT is also his target I believe.

 

[Flamin]

If he's doing PN, and them presumably Volta I would think he might not do Ardennes ( instead do Romandie as Wiggins last year ) Then prepare for the Tour and Worlds ITT is also his target I believe.

oh well, I don't know his racing schedule, I was just assuming.. Did he confirm he'd do Romandie?

edit: I see he did both Liège and Romandie last year. so why you think he would skip Liège?

 

[Pentacycle]

Why would Tejay do Liege ? ...

TJVG is in fact one of the better hilly riders, he did a lot of work on La Redoute for Gilbert this year. In 2011 he was 18th, and it would be good for him to try all three hilly classics.

 

[theyoungest]

Tejay as one of the better hilly riders is a bit of a stretch, but yeah he was pretty impressive working for for Gilbert last year. He just rode a time trial from the bottom of the Redoute to the Roche aux Faucons.

Gilbert returning the favour in Paris-Nice might look good on paper, but that would be a first.

 

[El Pistolero]

Tejay as one of the better hilly riders is a bit of a stretch, but yeah he was pretty impressive working for for Gilbert last year. He just rode a time trial from the bottom of the Redoute to the Roche aux Faucons.

Gilbert returning the favour in Paris-Nice might look good on paper, but that would be a first.

He has helped before.

Anyway, Phil is the big leader, not the other way around. They're supposed to work for him and if they don't they can always join a different team. I was actually under the assumption that Van Garderen needs to make something up. You know, the whole Cauberg incident...

When do we ever see Contador do domestique work for one of his (trade-)teammates? It's only natural that big riders don't have to work for their domestiques.

 

[theyoungest]

No, I don't know. What Cauberg incident?

 

[El Pistolero]

No, I don't know. What Cauberg incident?

How he made BMC lose the WC TTT.

 

[cineteq]

How he made BMC lose the WC TTT.

OMG, that's miopic. What about the massive turns he had to do?

 

[the asian]

Philippe Gilbert:

Tour Down Under
Tour of Oman
Paris-Nice



He also said he is more complete than Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini.

He'll be helping Tejay van Gardenen at Paris-Nice. Which is a shame again if you ask me. Also said if he'll do the Tour it will be to help Cadel Evans and Tejay van Gardenen. So I hope he skips it.

.

He better win Ronde or MSR then.

I would have preferred if he did T/A and the Giro instead of the Tour.

I am also a bit disappointed that Ronde and MSR aren't his main goals as having already won the Ardennes Triple, he should concentrate on winning the two.

 

[will10]

OMG, that's miopic. What about the massive turns he had to do?

Anyone who's ever ridden a TTT will know that what Tejay did there was inexcusable. Rabobank's screwup was funnier though.

 

[Parrulo]

Anyone who's ever ridden a TTT will know that what Tejay did there was inexcusable. Rabobank's screwup was funnier though.

indeed once a guy is dropped on a TTT is extremely hard for him to get back to the wheel and the whole team has to stop for it to happen. the fact that this happened on a climb with 90kg guy only made it worse.

then again he did something similar to evans on the tour

 

[theyoungest]

Anyone who's ever ridden a TTT will know that what Tejay did there was inexcusable. Rabobank's screwup was funnier though.

Inexcusable... maybe, but like Stef Clement said (the guy who dropped Luis Leon): you simply couldn't hear anything on the Cauberg.

BTW I don't think Gilbert gives a toss about that incident. It's not a Monument or something.